Road trippers are always looking for the next great road trip challenge. While touring the country we came to one of our favorite routes along the Pacific Coast – Highway 101. This route has everything you could ask for in a classic road trip. It includes winding roads, elevation changes, coastal cliffs, and beaches. We followed Scenic Highway 101 for two days, from Washington to Oregon to California.
In this Road Trip Planner for Highway 101 we’ll cover the first leg from Tacoma, WA to Grants Pass, OR.
ROAD TRIP PLANNER HIGHWAY 101
Our trip began in Tacoma, Washington with our final destination being San Francisco, California. The easiest way to make the trip is to simply shoot down I-5 and you can do it in a little over 13 hours.
We were looking for something much more scenic so we decided to hug the Pacific Coastline and ramble along Highway 101.
It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. I’ve always heard the Pacific Coast was beautiful, but we were both amazed by just how striking it truly is. For an East Coaster like me, who’s used to the glass-like water and manicured beaches of South Beach and the Gulf Coast, the Washington and Oregon Coastlines were absolutely breathtaking and stood in stark contrast.
There’s something truly raw and elemental about them. For someone that is used to seeing miles of sunbathers and beach umbrellas it was astounding to be presented with waves crashing against a 300 ft cliff while staring in wonder at the massive rock outcroppings that dot the coastline. As we drove Highway 101 we were completely entombed by the sounds of the sea in a constant reminder that there is something larger than us out there.
We headed out from Tacoma towards Olympia, WA and along HWY 8 which took us through a town called Montesano, where we saw a great car show. From there we took a short jaunt down 107 S and then intersected HWY 101 and continued south.
As HWY 101 heads towards the coastline it takes you through miles of beautiful pine groves that have been used by the logging industry for years. You can see a blend of old and new growth forestry and there are signs stating exactly when each grove was planted.
In Raymond WA, the road turns south and the coastal viewing begins. The Highway 101 has several great points to stop and wander including the Lewis & Clark National Park in Naselle, WA. It’s a great spot to plan for a stop and enjoy a picnic.
Our drive then took us into Oregon via the Astoria- Megler bridge and through countless quaint seaside beach towns and fishing villages. We made our next pit stop in Cannon Beach to stretch our legs (and walk our 4-legged companions) and take in some of the refreshing yet surprisingly chilly sea breeze.
After our stop we continued South and were continuously surprised and delighted by stunning vistas and picturesque views. We repeatedly thanked whomever designed the road as there are 100’s of turnouts where you can stop and take pictures or just bask in the epic beauty of it all. Our favorite views are in Oswald State Park as we were taken through Smuggler’s Cove and Devil’s Cauldron. Here, we hit some great elevation changes and nice winding roads. It was a really great spot to stretch the GTI’s legs and really put the 2.0L turbo to the test and I must say she passed with flying colors!
The southbound trip continued for us through Tilamook until we hit Newport, OR. You can continue all the way south to CA on Highway 101 if you choose, but we decided to cut in East on HWY 20 after sundown and book some miles along I-5 S. Part one of our two-day trip ended in Grants Pass, OR and as we laid our heads down to rest we took the sounds of the ocean with us.
If you enjoyed our Road Trip Planner Highway 101 you might also enjoy these articles:
Road Trip Planner Alaska’s Dalton Highway
Road Trip Planner Driving the Alaskan Highway
Visiting the Grand Canyon South Rim
So serene
Awesome just awesome. No other words needed.
I did the drive in my GTI I can’t even begin to imagine how nice it would be on a bike!
My husband and I are dying to take this trip! Would love for the kids to go as well but not sure if they would appreciate the beauty.
So glad I found this! We’ll be referring back to your tips.
Hubby and I are thinking about doing Washington Oregon coast in July this year with the RV. Do we have to make reservations in campgrounds like we do here in BC? We have only 1week to vacation but we wanted to do this trip this year. Any thoughts?
Thank you
Denise
Denise,
If you only have a week of vacay I would definitely make some reservations. Summer time is very busy for road trippers and we would hate to see you get caught on vacation with no where to park your RV because everywhere was already booked up. Also, you would save a few bucks booking early as opposed to last minute bookings. :) Send us some photos of your trip and we will be happy to post them on our Facebook page. Safe travels!
My husband and I are also planning on taking our RV down the 101 from Washington to California. Any thoughts on the road conditions in an RV. You talked about the roads being a bit winding, do you think it would be difficult for an RV to navigate?
Hi Brandi – While the road is a bit winding, it’s certainly not a problem for an RV. I saw several tractor trailers on the same road with no issus.
Hi, you mentioned about RV park reservation. What about hotel reservation? Where and what hotel we can stay along our trip? We’re planning of taking a trip this July. Any Suggestions please?
Hello,
There are quite a few areas to book a hotel, what part of the trip did you need help with specifically?
Noticed you stopped in Canon Beach…great, however, the little town of Manzanita (next to Canon Beach) is well worth a stop as well as Hug Point, a beautiful beach area with an awesome cave at low tide. Very picturesque (then, again, what area along 101 is not?)
Sharon,
Thanks for the tip, I’m sure other readers of this post will be happy to check out Manzanita on their trip. :-) It’s such a beautiful area, I could spend weeks there exploring the place. Cheers!
Would Mid March be a good time to drive down from Oregon to San Francisco,weather-wise? Can we still appreciate the same beauty and scenery as in the summer?
Much of the drive is through evergreen forest so it should still be lovely, albeit a bit chilly.
Great post! Husband and I are planning to do this on our bikes at the end of May… When you say winding roads…are they hairpin scary turns or fun rolling? Can only imagine the smells of the ocean while on the bikes. Thank you for sharing!
Hey Lysa,
The turns are absolutely fun rolling! I don’t remember any scary hairpins on that route so it should be perfect for a ride!
I am driving from Silverdale, WA to Petaluma, CA at the end of July. I can’t find any information as to the distance and time it will take via hwy 101. I’ll have three days to get to Petaluma and would feel better knowing how many hours the drive will be. If you know roughly how many hours the drive would take, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Hey David,
Thanks for asking. If you map it out it should be about 16 hours of driving not counting traffic and the such.
I am planning a trip from Astoria to Santa Barbara,Cal.in June 2015 is weather pretty fair about this time and would it be fairly easy to find Hotels to stay in??
Hey Hector,
The weather should be nice, but I would highly suggest pre-booking hotels as you are getting into Summer Road Trip season.
I’m planning on doing this trip with my 7 year old next week. We will be leaving from Tacoma Too heading to huntington Beach Via SF. How many hours did it take to get to grants pass?
Hey RH, We did this drive a few years ago so my memory is a little rough on the time, but I recall it being a really long driving day. If you plan on taking 101 the whole way (until you cut inland towards Grants Pass) plan on it being a 12 – 14 hour day.
Can I ask the recommended time to take to do these road trips? :)
We are coming from Vancouver island as well.
We are planning on taking 10 days. is this enough?
As well any amazing hiking spots that are a must?
Hi Courtney,
I’d he happy to look at the time it would take for you, but I’m not sure where your destination is?
We will be traveling from the tacoma area as well to LA at the end of July, we will be towing a 35ft trailer….Newbies to towing i should add. Would you recommned this route? I noticed you mentioned a lot of curves.
There are several points along the route where you can get back onto the Interstate. If it were me, I’d give it a shot for at least part of the coastal drive.
We are leaving Quebec Canada in 3 days driving all the way to Vancouver and then heading south by the 101 all the way to Santa cruz. Then after a week there we will go east by the road 50 all the way to ocean Atlantic….
then back home.
Wow! Sounds like an incredible trip :-)
Is there a strong need for reservations mid to end of September? We are planning for 10-12 days from Vancouver to San Francisco, but we were hoping to keep our schedule very loose, however I would prefer not to sleep in the car! Lol
Hey Kathy, It might be best to at least scout out a few places along the way and check on their availability for the smaller towns, as you wouldn’t want to get stuck late at night trying to find somewhere to stay. If you plan on staying in/near the larger cities you should be fine, but since you are driving, it might be better to stay on the outskirts of the cities to avoid some of the extremely high costs of parking.
How many hours did it take you to get from Tacoma to Astoria?
HI Ivy,
If I recall correctly it took us about 3 hours.
Hi there,
just wondering if you recall the signage at the pull outs etc – how about just parking somewhere and sleep in the trailer at night along the coast (and elsewhere in OR and WA? I’m not a big fan of being on a campground each night………IF I have to I assume travelling in May doesn’t necessarily require bookings? Any idea/recommendation? Thanks!!
oh – for clarification – I’m not travelling with a big “beast”, just a little 17’er!
Hey Erika,
Thanks for the comment and the question. To be honest I don’t recall but I did a little digging and found this resource: http://www.delsjourney.com/close-ups/us/travels_nw/101_camping_tips.htm
My wife and I are planning on doing this trip next year at the end of May going into June. We will most likely take two weeks to travel from Vancouver to Los Angeles. After reading your story we are even mpre determined to do it.
We will be coming from Australia and taking a cruise from San Francisco to Vancouver and then doing the road trip. Should be fun.
That sounds fabulous…. seeing the coast from both land and sea! You won’t regret it!
HI There,
I will be in Seattle with my husband and another couple. We will be renting a motorcycles for 3 days.we would like to do the most scenic drive in WA.would you recommend the North Casade Loupe or a coast drive drive from Tacoma to Oregon.we all like wine and for what I understand there’s wineries on both rides….which would you recommend best?
Hi my husband and I are planning on doing this trip the end of the year.We know it is winter but want to camp and take in the scenery.Are there any state camp sites along the way?Any suggestions?We will have good camping gear.We are both 60 and have talked about doing this for years.We are going over to Texas to visit family.Thanks any feed back would be great.
Hi Margaret,
We personally didn’t do any camping on this trip, so I’m not aware of any sites along the route. There are several state and other parks though, so I’m sure that should be an option for you.
We did this route in 2010 in a 30′ RV in the month of October, coming from Canada It was Fabulous! Our dog loved romping on the beaches, and the rugged coast was breath taking. We stayed at some awesome RV parks along the way, one with Elk roaming around, and no reservations needed at this time of year. So much to see and do. We are thinking of doing it again this year, beginning of November, and hope the weather holds like it did last time.
Hello, we are driving from Astoria to San Francisco in just over a week’s time and when we originally looked at timings we didn’t realise it was the I-5. Really we’d like to hug the coast as much as possible but we need to arrive in San Francisco by nightfall.
We planned to leave at 3-4AM and eat up the miles while there isn’t much on the road and there’s less visibility for the first part of the journey so less ooooo ahhhh moments.
Now the question is do you think this is feasible with a couple of stops or are we going to have to bite the bullet and stay on the I-5?
Any advice you could give me or on a possible mix of routes so we could at least see some of the coast would be very much appreciated!
Hey Alan,
I’m afraid if you’re trying to make it to SF by nightfall, it’s going to be very difficult to see the coast on this trip. I was initially thinking you could stay on 101 from Astoria down to Newport and then cut over onto I-5 but if you leave at 3 – 4 in the morning, you’ll be in Newport by 6AM and then need to cut in to the 5 so you wouldn’t get to see much either way.
The only other option I can think of would be to take the 5 South through OR until you hit Grants Pass, then cut over to Crescent City, CA and take 101 South from there. That’ll take you through some lovely coastline as well through some redwood forests. If you do that, the drive should take about 14 hours before you factor in time for stops and such. Not sure how that fits with your timeline, but it seems like you’d be cutting it VERY close.
Hi Kenin,
Thank you for your help, I’m going to opt for to cut across to Crescent city and follow the coast from there.
I realise I’m biting off a lot here but as I don’t know when I’ll be back in this part of the world it’ll totally be worth it.
Thanks again!